Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1887-01-13
SIBERIAN PRISON LIFE.

has Deeu tduOuss W Iut4uoouSi 90
place OF Punishment for those who Of
fend against the social or political
laws of Russia. Peter the Great began
the transportation of criminals to
Siberia in ITO; previous TO that date
the country had been used as q land
Of Punishment for officials whom the
government wished to get out of the
way without putting them to death,
but the number of these deported in
dividusls was not large. Ever since
Peters day the work Of exiting crimi-
nails to Siberia has been kept up; the
ordinary travel of this sort is about
10000 annually, and sometimes it
reaches as high a $4,000 or 1900.
Outside of this deportation 10 that Of
revolutionists, nihilists and others who
offend politically rather than crimi-
nally, though any opposition to the
autocratic power of the Gear is likely
to be regarded as criminal in the eyes
Of the Russian government. After
every revolution in Poland the num-
Der of exiles is rapidly augmented.
In the year following the revolt Of
1868, q, 900 Poles were sent to Siberia,
and for two or three years afterward
there were from 10000 to 10000 IN.
happy lovers of Independence who
travelled the same route.
Sometimes the political prisoners
are mingled with the criminsls. but
ordinarily they are kept apart. In
former tinss the prisoners were COM
PEELED to walk to their destinations,
and the journey from st. Petersburg
to the regions beyond Lake Baikal, a
distance Of nearly 1000 miles, occu.
pied two years. and sometimes more,
and many Of the exiles died on the
road from fatigue and privations. 1t
was found more economical to trans.
port the offenders in wagons or sleighs,
sr by rail and steamboat when possible,
than to require them to walk, and for
the last twenty years or more Eve
sixths of the exiles have been carried
in this Ssy. At points varying from
ten to twenty niles apart along the
great road through Siberia there are
houses for the Judgment of prisoners
at night. They afford a shelter from
the weather, but very little else, as
they are almost always badly VENT.
lated and very dirty, and occupants
sieep 90 the bare floor or benches,
without any other covering than the
clothes they weaE Sometimes in sum-
'ner the officer in charge OF > convoy
of prisoners will permit them to sleep
out of doors at night, instead of en-.
tering the filthy stations, but in such
case he requires the personal promise
of every exile in the convoy that he
will make no attempt to escape, and
he furthermore makes the whole party
responsible fer individual conduct.
Under such circumstances if one of
the prisoners should violate his parole
and run away no further favors would
be shown to the rest, and they would
be put on low rations of food and
otherwise punished. 1t 10 needless to
say they take good care that the prom
Use is kept. This privilege is accord
ed only to the conveys of political Of
tenders. The criminal classes are not
considered worthy Of such confidence
IN their honor.
Prison life in Siberia is of many va
Fieties, according to the offsnses of
different individuals and the SEN
fences which have been decresd in
their cases. The lowest sentence is to
simply Danish for three years, aad the
highest to hard labor for life. The
simple exile without imprisonment is
appointed to live in . certain town,
district or province, and must report
to the police at stated intervals. He
may engage in certain specified occu.
P-t'oH'. or rather in any occupation
which is not on a prohibited list for
example, he may teach music or paint.
ing. but he may not teach languages,
as they afford the opportunity for pro.
Pagating revolutionary ideas. He
may become merchant, farmer, me-
ehan'c' contractor, or anything else OF
that sort, and it not infrequently
happens that sxiles enjoy a degree of
prosperity In their Esw homes that
they dill not have in European Russia.
Exiles aud their sons have become
milliOnairss in Siberia former Van
derbilt of lrkootsk, the capital OF
Eastern Siberia, was the son of an
exile ssrf, his enormous fortune having
been gained in the overland tea trade.
Many exiles become 90 attached to
Siberia that they remain there after
their term Of Punishment is ended. but